Wednesday, August 17, 2011

~ ~ Wondrous Words Wednesday ~ ~

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Bermudaonion's Weblog where we share words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun (please do!) Be sure to leave a link to your post over at Bermudaonion's Weblog.



The words below are from Strange Relation by Rachel Hadas:


"It's equally quixotic (though perfectly natural) to hope for a clear diagnosis or for a cure."


1. Quixotic
: impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.
: impractical or impracticable




“Like some illnesses, this simile is iatrogenic; its source is a physician”


2. Iatrogenic
: caused by the diagnosis, manner, or treatment of a physician




“Here I am, immured alongside him. Yet not wholly immured.”


3. Immured
: to enclose behind walls; to imprison
: to shut in, exclude or confine


" In the paternal role of disciplinarian, George had a gently creative approach: he invented the institution of the Talking Chair, which was an armchair to which father and son would repair to talk over whatever contretemps had transpired or whenever George declared a time-out. "


4. Contretemps
: an awkward or difficult situation or mishap
: a small disagreement that is rather embarrassing




The following words come from The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen


" Gordie's presence betraying a hint of garrulity, insisting that she hadn't needed a rescue in any case, since she'd known how to swim since she was four. "


5. Garrulity
: talkativeness; loquacity




" His voice seemed tinged with private rue, something like self-reproach. "


6. Rue
: to feel sorrow, repentance or regret
: pity or compassion

6 comments:

  1. Some great words there. I like garrulous as a term, have never used garrulity though.

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  2. I didn't know that "rue" could mean sorrow or regret ! For me (I'm French), "rue" is just "street" or a wild plant ! Thanks!

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  3. You found lots of good words today. I like what Annie said about rue. I seem to be seeing and hearing rue a lot lately. I've heard people say, "I'll rue the day I do that."

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  4. I knew a few of these, but a lot of them were new to me. Thanks for sharing them with us!

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  5. Great words. You read some pretty heavy books, sounds like.

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  6. I was glad when I got down to rue, because there was finally a word I knew! Great words today!

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